Persian Gulf States. Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates

192 Pages·2010·3.82 MB·English

by  Britannica Educational Publishing

PERSIAN GULF STATES
KUWAIT, QATAR, BAHRAIN, OMAN, AND THE
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
MIDDLE EAST
REGION IN TRANSITION
PERSIAN GULF STATES
KUWAIT, QATAR, BAHRAIN, OMAN, AND THE UNITED
ARAB EMIRATES
EDITED BY LAURA S. ETHEREDGE, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, MIDDLE EAST GEOGRAPHY
Published in 2011 by Britannica Educational Publishing (a trademark of
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.) in association with Rosen Educational Services,
LLC
29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010.
Copyright © 2011 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Britannica, Encyclopædia
Britannica, and the Thistle logo are registered trademarks of Encyclopædia
Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rosen Educational Services materials copyright © 2011 Rosen Educational
Services, LLC. All rights reserved.
Distributed exclusively by Rosen Educational Services.
For a listing of additional Britannica Educational Publishing titles, call toll free
[phone].
First Edition
Britannica Educational Publishing Michael I. Levy: Executive Editor
J.E. Luebering: Senior Manager
Marilyn L. Barton: Senior Coordinator, Production Control Steven Bosco:
Director, Editorial Technologies Lisa S. Braucher: Senior Producer and Data
Editor Yvette Charboneau: Senior Copy Editor
Kathy Nakamura: Manager, Media Acquisition Laura S. Etheredge: Associate
Editor, Middle East Geography Rosen Educational Services Alexandra Hanson-
Harding: Editor
Nelson Sá: Art Director
Cindy Reiman: Photography Manager
Matthew Cauli: Designer, Cover Design
Introduction by Monique Vescia
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Persian Gulf states: Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab
Emirates/edited by Laura S. Etheredge. — 1st ed.
p. cm. — (Middle East: region in transition) “In association with Britannica
Educational Publishing, Rosen Educational Services.”
Educational Publishing, Rosen Educational Services.”
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61530407-3 (eBook)
1. Persian Gulf States—Encyclopedias. I. Etheredge, Laura.
DS247.A13P48 2011
953.6—dc22
2010034558
On the cover (clockwise from top left): The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque at
night, near Muscat, Oman; Kuwait city, Kuwait at night; the financial center of
Manama, Bahrain; Doha, Qatar, skyline seen from the bay at sunset.
Shutterstock.com.
On pages 1, 9, 14, 18, 23, 28, 37, 44, 48, 52, 60, 70, 77, 81, 86, 93, 99, 104, 108,
112, 115, 123, 132, 136, 142, 149, 151, 155: This map of the Middle East
focuses on five of the countries of the Persian Gulf—Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain,
Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. NIMA. Courtesy of the University of Texas
Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin
CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter 1: Bahrain: The Land and Its People
Relief and Drainage
Al-Mu arraq
ḥ
Climate
Plant and Animal Life
Ethnic Groups
Languages
Religion
Manama
Settlement Patterns
Demographic Trends
Chapter 2: The Bahraini Economy
Agriculture and Fishing
Resources and Power
Manufacturing
Finance
Trade
Services
Labour and Taxation
Transportation and Telecommunications
Chapter 3: Bahraini Government and Society
Justice
Political Process
Security
Health and Welfare
Housing
Education
Chapter 4: Bahraini Cultural Life
Daily Life and Social Customs
The Arts
‘ d al-A
Ī ḍḥā
Cultural Institutions
Dhow
Sports and Recreation
Media and Publishing
Chapter 5: Bahrain: Past and Present
The British Protectorate
Dilmun
Domestic and Foreign Relations Since Independence
Chapter 6: Kuwait: The Land and Its People
Relief
Drainage
Faylakah
Soils
Climate
Plant and Animal Life
Ethnic Groups
Languages
Religion
Settlement Patterns
Demographic Trends
Kuwait City
Chapter 7: The Kuwaiti Economy
Agriculture and Fishing
Resources and Power
Oil
Natural Gas
Water
Manufacturing
Finance
Trade
Services
Labour and Taxation
Transportation and Telecommunications
Chapter 8: Kuwaiti Government and Society
Justice
Political Process
Security
ab Dynasty
Ṣ āḥ
Health and Welfare